Integrated vapor chamber heat sink and spreader and an embedded direct heat pipe attachment

• US 6,639,799 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2000
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ofman, Leo, Chrysler, Gregory M., Prasher, Ravi, Frutschy, Kristopher, Sathe, Ajit V., Watwe, Abhay A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US09/746,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20020080583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 361/689-690, 361/694, 361/697-700, 361/704, 361/718, 361/719, 257/706, 257/707, 257/714, 257/715, 174/15.1, 174/15.2, 174/16.1, 174/16.3, 165/80.3, 165/80.4, 165/104.33, 165/185, 165/104.26
• US Class Current: 361/700
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

Two types of thermal management devices for efficiently dissipating heat generated by high performance electronic devices, such as microprocessors for desktop and server computers producing a power of near 200 Watts and high power electronic devices that are small and thin, such as those used in telephones, radios, laptop computers, and handheld devices. An integrated heat sink and spreader for cooling an item has a vapor chamber heat sink with a thinner first wall and a thicker second wall. The thicker second wall is engageable with the item in efficient heat transferring relationship. A plurality of heat-radiating fins are attached to the thinner first wall. An embedded direct heat pipe attachment includes a heat pipe embedded in a spreader plate that is in direct heat transferring contact with an item through a thin, uniform layer of thermal interface material.

Claims

1. An assembly having an integrated heat sink and spreader for cooling an item, comprising:

a microelectronic die to be cooled;

a vapor chamber heat sink defined by a thinner first wall and a thicker second wall, the thicker second wall having a substantially uniform thickness and having a flat exterior surface portion for coupling to a surface of the microelectronic die, the flat exterior surface portion having an area that is considerably larger than an area of the surface of the microelectronic die;

a plurality of heat-radiating fins attached to the thinner first wall; and

a layer of thermal interface material interposed between the flat exterior surface portion of the thicker second wall and the surface of the microelectronic die.

2. The assembly as in claim 1, wherein

the thicker second wall is at least twice as thick as the thinner first wall.

3. The assembly as in claim 2, wherein the thicker second wall includes:

a base surface area defined by a width and a length, the base surface area being large enough to spread heat substantially uniformly across the base surface area, the base surface area engageable with the item; and

a height;

wherein the base surface area and height are optimized to minimize total thermal resistance.

4. An assembly having a vapor chamber heat sink for conducting heat away from an item, comprising:

a microelectronic die to be cooled;

a hollow vapor chamber base having a thinner first wall and a thicker second wall, the thicker second wall having a substantially uniform thickness and having a flat exterior surface portion directly coupled to an exposed surface of the microelectronic die through a layer of thermal interface material, the flat exterior surface portion having an area that is considerably larger than an area of the exposed surface of the microelectronic die, the hollow vapor chamber base having fluid under pressure, an evaporator associated with the thicker second wall to vaporize the fluid, a condenser associated with the thinner first wall to condense the fluid, and a wick to return the fluid to the evaporator; and

a plurality of fins bonded to the thinner first wall to form a heat sink.

5. The assembly as in claim 4, wherein

a thermal resistance between the microelectronic die and the vapor chamber heat sink is less than about 0.26 degrees celsius per Watt.

6. The assembly as in claim 4, wherein

the vapor chamber heat sink cools an item having a power of at least 190 Watts.

7. A heat sink for controlling the temperature of a heat-producing item, comprising:

a heat pipe including a thinner first wall and a thicker second wall, the walls defining a chamber, the chamber having a vaporizing region proximate the thicker second wall and a condensing region proximate the thinner first wall, the thicker second wall having a substantially uniform thickness and having a flat exterior surface portion directly coupled to a surface of a microelectronic die through a layer of thermal interface material, the flat exterior surface portion having an area that is considerably larger than an area of the surface of the microelectronic die; and

a plurality of heat-dissipating fins in efficient heat transferring relationship with the exterior of the thinner first wall, the fins to efficiently dissipate heat transferred to the fins through the thinner first wall from the condensing region.

8. The heat sink as in claim 7, wherein the thicker second wall is at least twice as thick as the thinner first wall.